Thursday, August 25, 2011

Eyes bigger than my lap

I bought my first personal laptop when i was a senior in high school. Technically i was in running start and going to my first year of college, which is how i got mom to put it on her credit card while i paid her cash. She was very hesitant, but understood it would help me dramatically. Indeed, for the first time in a long time, i 

In the days of "Dude you're getting a Dell" i succumbed to the marketing and ordered a Dell Inspiron 5150. Lappy served me very well until i ran it practically into the ground. I gave the old laptop to my sister and two days later, Lappy died, never to be resurrected again. 

But i had already ordered Sarah. A(nother) Dell Studio 17 inch laptop. My reasons originally were: I want it to run WoW flawlessly, be great for photoshop and to not have to cramp my elbows in when i want to type.

However i didn't think about certain things. Like for instance what would happen when i met soon-to-be Boyfriend Jon, how little of an urge to play WoW I would have in favor of his company. In a matter of a month, i kicked my WoW habit and suddenly started noticing certain things about Sarah(laptop). 

While her insides were still magnificent, and a great gaming machine, her outsides were, not suiting my needs anymore. She was a honking 9 pounds and LITERALLY double the size of Boyfriend Jon's netbook. I love her dearly, but i started to think if this was really what i wanted. 

The conclusion i've come to is that i no longer need a blazing fast gaming computer. I need something portable that's great for photoshop, but otherwise is used for standard fun. 

Thus begins my adventure into the realm of laptop selling, something I've never done before. 

Friday, August 19, 2011

Discovering Hawaiian Music

With the exception of the most famous modern Hawaiian song "What a wonderful world" (which really isn't a Hawaiian song) by Hawaii's greatest musician (Israel IZ Kamakawiwo'ole) I had never given Hawaiian music a second thought.  I heard it at the end of 50 First Dates and really loved the new take on the Judy Garland Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I couldn't even pronounce the artist's name. But i knew it when i heard it and stopped to listen. But that was the grand extent of my knowledge of music from the islands.


Enter Boyfriend Jon, who has Hawaiian heritage, to introduce me to the big man from the big island, and a handful of other Ukulele players and very talented guitarists. We made a trip to EMP and he taught me how the instruments developed in Hawaii. Next thing i know i'm a sucker for most Hawaiian music. 


Now normally at work, i'm not supposed to wear headphones because apparently i'm not supposed to tune the world out when i'm there for the sole purpose to assist people. But i got put on to a project which required me to concentrate and i got my boss's blessing to put ear-buds in to drown out nearby conversations.

Quickly i found that my normal stations on Pandora; rock, country were not good choices because i couldn't concentrate through the lyrics. It's a problem when you're supposed to be re-typing a technical document and a sentence comes out: "this part list will be superceeded by document she's a bad mamma jamma from down in Alabama"
Needless to say, i had to find something new.

I'm not sure how i remembered, but I started a station with Israel's What a wonderful world/Somewhere over the rainbow and the song after that was a beautiful Ukulele solo with a peppy beat. My Hawaiian station was born. I could concentrate and still listen to beautiful music.

In a few hours i started to notice a change in my mood about having to re-type a 35 page document because some genius had lost the digital copy and of course no one thought i had anything better to do. Instead, my brain started thinking about how this really was great practice to get my fingers in shape for writing for Nano. I started doing my own word sprints just to see if i could get my typing skills back up to my Nano levels.

I finished the document two days ahead of schedule feeling not only relieved that it was over, but triumphant.

I even found a song that never fails to make me smile though i normally would think it to be silly and childish. "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobbie McFerrin gets me laughing no matter how bad my day is or how much my co-workers are being pills.

Now i'm sneaking one bud in my ear so i can still hear people calling for my help and enjoy the music.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Genes I wasn't born with

Summer is undoubtedly wedding season. In the northwest, i'm convinced that while you almost never have a perfect chance of full on sunshine...your odds of less or no rain are greatly increased between June and September. So every relation i know of seems to think this is a great time to get married. I don't think i was born with the "lets get married right away" gene. I'm much more of a fan of "eh, we'll get there eventually" and "why can't this just be a simple thing?"

As a fellow 20 something...with many friends in the 20 something range, weddings are around every corner.

I have people whom i barely talk to the rest of the year asking what i think about these paint chips for their wedding colors. Especially those who respond to my polite "its your wedding you should be happy" with "NO!!! What do YOU think???!!!!"

I've been invited to multiple bridal showers, bachelorette parties, wedding favor making parties, putting stamps on envelopes parties and thankfully only one wedding that i plan on attending.

There's a distinct influx of "So when are you and Boyfriend Jon getting married?", (most of this comes from our mothers).

I even got a wedding cataloged that was misdirected to me instead of my neighbor. Seriously...are those prices REAL? put half of the basics together and that'd pay off my car!

I hear about the games that were played at the bridal showers and think "WHY? who wants to be trussed up in a toilet paper wedding dress?" I don't see the point. Why do i need to know this inside joke between the bride and groom? And, call me a prude all you want. I'm uncomfortable buying sexy lingerie for another woman!

I'm very happy for the couples i know that have made this huge decision and i genuinely hope they have a happily ever after ending. But it's all this extra stuff that i recoil from. I can't help it. Too much of it in a short amount of time and i start searching around for something very anti-wedding. A motorcycle ride, a marathon of blow-em-up blood and guts games...anything to get it out of my mind.

The only wedding decision i have come to is that i want to set up a pay pal account instead of a registry. Tradition be damned. I'd rather have a solid start of a nest egg than a gravy boat or candelabra....whatever that is.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Battle of the Pizza Order

I'm a person of simple tastes...too simple according to Boyfriend Jon.

My favorite pizza is just cheese. Lots and lots of cheese. With a big fluffy tasty crust. My second option is Hawaiian style (i may be crazy, but i like fruit and cheese!) This is not to say that i won't try new flavors, but there are certain combinations i have discovered i don't like. 

Boyfriend Jon loves meat, veggies, and lots and lots of flavor. He has several favorites, but is frequently trying new combinations. "How can you just like only cheese? ....it's just....well, that's the base of a pizza!"

Not too long after we started going out, we found one that we both liked. Papa Murphy's Gourmet Chicken Garlic. 

But then came another disagreement. Thick and fluffy crust....or thin and crispy? the lines in the sand were drawn. 

For me, Pizza is meant to droop and fold easily...not break in half when you fold it. But Boyfriend Jon finds it easier to dip when it's like that. 

I think we're gonna have to face it...we're never gonna be able to get just one whole pizza that we're both totally happy with. Till then, it's 2 pizzas. Two very tasty hit the spot pizzas :)

At least this didn't put a damper on dancing like silly in the hallway and his new rendition of "save the last dance" minus 90% of the actual lyrics. He had me practically falling down i was laughing so hard. Hard to not love this guy, even when he doesn't order his pizza the same way.

He always reminds me that neither of us is perfect, except for each other...

...except when it comes to pizza. <3

Monday, August 1, 2011

Recounting the invasion of Canada

There's been a lot going on lately, most of it is more personal than i'd like to post. But several months ago, i was invited to join a huge camping trip on a ranch in Merritt, British Columbia, Canada. By the time last week drew to a close, i was more than ready for an escape.

We set off north for what we thought would be just over a 5 hour drive. Shortly after Lynnwood however traffic slowed to a crawl in all lanes for construction. This went on clear past Everett tacking on additional hours to our drive. Crossing the border was a cinch and we chugged along for an additional couple of hours, stopping every now and then to stretch.

By the time we were rolling into Merritt however, the sun was sinking rapidly and it quickly became evident that both the directions and my memory of the trip four years ago was quite insufficient.

Finally we found a sign that looked promising. Well, it wasn't. And then we decided to pull out the phones and get our GPS going even though we were roaming. We rolled in as twilight was gripping the valley and set up our tent as quickly as possible.

The next day, i was immensely thankful that i had insisted on setting up in the trees next to the river. The temperature rose to 88 degrees and the river was invitingly cool. After a trip into town, where we got a double tube, we went down the river. Or rather, we made a mad, paddling dash for the left fork in the river and then mad paddling dashes to avoid log jams, and rocks and cliff walls. But in the parts that we just drifting with the current, it was pure bliss.

However at some point between getting into the river and getting out, my right foot became VERY unhappy with me. Turns out that i broke my second smallest toe. We did some quick first aide and then i put my foot in the river to save some of the ice from the cooler.

But that misfortune didn't stop us. I played Bocce Ball for the first time in my life and won 11 to 5. I chatted with the people in the group, played with the dogs, caught up with the people that invited me, read by the river, and got an awesome tan.

Finally it was time to go and we made for the border. While we were waiting in line, another diver alerted us that we had a flat. A nice big nail decided it really liked my tire. And of course this was after 6pm on a SUNDAY which means that every single tire place within a 10 mile radius was closed. Finally we got out the trusty smart phone and found a Sears that was open. In getting there, we found a Walmart with a tire center and pulled in.

After 40 minutes, $11 and many heartfelt thank yous to the tech who stayed late to help us, we were back on the road home.

I think we rolled in around 10pm and made a Beeline for a hot shower which was the most glorious of all the adventures of the weekend.

Next comes the adventure of unpacking while nursing a broken toe. This should be interesting.